


I'll Pick You Up When You're Feeling Down

by gabby227



Series: Stony Bingo [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Kid Fic, Kid Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), M/M, Makeup, Married Couple, Misunderstandings, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), SO MUCH FLUFF, Stony Bingo, Tony Stark Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28059780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabby227/pseuds/gabby227
Summary: Morgan wants a doll. Tony thinks it's creepy.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Stony Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749289
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	I'll Pick You Up When You're Feeling Down

**Author's Note:**

> I have what I'm told is an irrational fear of porcelain dolls. I don't like their dead eyes. That's what this fic is based on. This is for two bingos.
> 
> Stony Bingo -- Square O4 -- Miscommunication  
> Tony Stark Bingo -- Square T1 -- Kid!Fic
> 
> The title comes from Lego House by Ed Sheeran.
> 
> Also, even though the child is named Morgan, she isn't Morgan from Endgame. Just a random adopted girl named Morgan.

“She can’t have it.”

The firmness in Tony’s tone made Steve laugh a little. They had been together over a decade, and even after they had adopted their daughter two years ago, Tony was known as the fun-loving dad. Steve was always the stern one, the one that stuck to the rules. It wasn’t a big deal for Tony to sneak Morgan ice cream or candy after Steve had told her no.

So he wasn’t sure why Tony was getting so bent out of shape over this.

“I’m serious, Steve. She can’t have it. I will not have  _ that  _ in my house.”

Steve looked over at where a four-year-old Morgan was holding a doll. It was a girl baby doll who was wearing a pink dress and had the realest green eyes Steve himself had ever seen. Morgan looked up at Steve, and then Tony, her brown eyes shining at the two of them. She  _ really  _ wanted this doll.

“She can’t have it.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Tony, it’s just a toy. A freaking  _ doll _ .”

“Look at that thing,” Tony groaned. “I mean it’s cute, sure, but look at those eyes. They’re dead little eyes and they creep me the hell out.”

“I can’t believe you’re getting this bent out of shape over a  _ doll _ , for Christ’s sake,” Steve teased his husband. “I mean, really?”

“Haven’t you ever seen those movies, Steve?  _ Dead Silence _ ?  _ Annabelle _ ?  _ Child’s Play _ ?” He sighed. “All those movies have killer dolls in them.”

Steve stifled a giggle. “C’mon, Tones, it’s just a doll,” Steve tried to assure his husband. “There’s absolutely nothing that can go wrong with a doll.”

***

In the end, they brought the doll home for Morgan. She seemed incredibly pleased by it, which Steve knew, and he wasn’t sure why Tony was so uptight about a fucking  _ doll _ . When Tony had named off those movies -- which Steve had seen all of, because he was tired of Tony making pop culture references that Steve didn’t understand -- he couldn’t figure out why Tony was having such a hard time with this doll.

As they lay in bed that night, Tony reading on his StarkPad and Steve sitting in bed sketching, his mind kept going back to that moment in the toy store earlier that day. Steve looked over at his husband.

“Yes?” Tony said without even looking up from his tablet. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Tony, babe, could you tell me something? And I’m being totally honest, totally non-judgmental.”

That’s when Tony looked Steve in his crystal blue eyes. He sighed, but then nodded. “Sure, Steve. What is it?”

“Why were you so against Morgan getting that doll at the toy store? You usually give her anything she wants, so why get that worked up over a toy?”

Tony sighed. “Don’t make this into a thing, Steve,” he said after a few moments of silence.

“It’s not a  _ thing _ ,” Steve frowned. “It’s just a question.”

“Look, I know it may sound a little weird, to even you, but I don’t like dolls. Especially not porcelain dolls or even ventriloquist dummies. They freak me the fuck out. It’s the eyes.”

“What eyes?”

“Those sorts of dolls have dead little eyes. They’re fucking creepy to look at. I don’t like them.”

“Don’t worry, Tony,” Steve smiled. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Damn it, Steve, that’s not what this is about!” Tony exclaimed. Steve was completely taken aback by Tony’s outburst, but wasn’t sure what to say to make it better. Finally, Tony sighed and got out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Steve asked him hesitantly. Tony shrugged.

“To the lab. I’m going to the lab.”

***

Tony didn’t come to bed that night. He stayed in the lab all night long, and when Steve awoke he felt over to Tony’s side of the bed, which was completely cold. He knew that he had really upset Tony.

But how? Why? Steve couldn’t figure it out.

“Hey, Daddy?” Morgan said that morning when Steve made her breakfast. Their dining room table was in the kitchen, and she often sat there while Steve made her whatever breakfast she asked for, and she would often talk to him. Today, she held onto the baby doll her dads had bought her, who she’d named  _ Katherine _ .

“Yeah, peanut?” Steve asked as he flipped a pancake. “What’s up?”

“Where’s Papa?” she asked him. “He is usually out here with us.”

And he was, too. Tony was often drinking his coffee while Steve was making breakfast. To her question, Steve just shrugged.

“Papa had a bad night,” he told his daughter. Taking her breakfast over to the table, Steve poured syrup on her pancake before cutting it up.

“What happened?”

Steve sighed, “I don’t know, sweetheart.”

“Is he gonna be okay?”

Steve smiled softly, “You know your papa’s always okay.”

Morgan nodded, seeming satisfied. “Okay, Daddy.”

Steve sat down and ate breakfast with Morgan in close to complete silence, which was strange. The little girl was almost always talking, so it surprised Steve when she didn’t say a word.

After they finished breakfast, dishes had been done, and Morgan was dressed -- still carrying around Katherine -- Steve went down to try to coax his husband out of the lab. Steve went into the lab, noticing Tony was sitting on the couch he kept down there. His head was tilted backwards, resting against the cushions, and Steve went to sit down beside his husband.

Tony’s eyes were closed, so Steve wasn’t sure if he was even awake, but when Steve hit the couch cushion, Tony’s eyes snapped open. He looked over at Steve.

“Hey, Steve,” he said softly. Steve smiled at him.

“I missed you in bed this morning,” Steve admitted quietly. “And Morgan noticed you weren’t at breakfast.”

Tony nodded.

“Tony, I’m trying really hard to understand,” Steve pleaded with his husband. “I really am. Can you please let me know what the deal is about Katherine?”

“Katherine?” Tony questioned. Steve shook his head.

“That’s the name Morgan’s given her doll.” Steve watched Tony closely. “Please, Tony. I want to understand.  _ Please _ , help me understand.”

“Do you know how sometimes people have fears that are completely irrational?” Tony said finally, after taking a few moments to gather his thoughts together. “Like how Clint won’t watch a movie with clowns, even though he was literally in a circus?”

Steve nodded.

“I just don’t like dolls. I mean, the ones with painted-on eyes are fine, but those dolls that have those realistic-looking eyes -- they creep me the fuck out. I don’t like them. I don’t know what it is, they just look so incredibly real that they make my skin crawl. It’s haunting.”

“Daddy? Papa?” A little voice interrupted their talk, and that’s when Tony looked up to see Morgan standing in the doorway, her doll in her arms.

“Yeah, bug?” Tony asked her. She started to come towards him.

He lifted her up on his lap once she was stood by him, and she looked up at Tony with her expressive eyes. “Do you not like Katherine?”

For the first time since they adopted Morgan two years ago, Tony found himself speechless.

“’Cause I can get rid of her. Give her to someone who likes her. I don’t like it when you and Daddy fight.”

It was at that that Tony’s heart melted. He sighed as he watched their daughter.

“Thank you, baby,” Tony smiled at her after a few moments had gone by. “But I know you’re here, and Daddy’s here, and nothing will get me.”

At that, Morgan smiled.

***

When Steve had laid Morgan down for her nap, he went down to coax his husband into taking one too. As they lay there, Tony cuddled up in his husband’s arms, Steve leaned down to give his husband a kiss on his forehead. Sighing, he said, “I’m sorry I teased. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“My feelings weren’t hurt,” Tony replied, but Steve could hear the denial in his tone.

“They were, and I’m sorry. I just don’t think of dolls as a scary thing, and it surprised me that you do. We all have things that freak us out, and I shouldn’t have belittled the thing that is creepy to you.”

“Morgan offered to get rid of her.” Tony’s voice was soft and gentle. “I can’t believe that.”

“You know that Morgan loves you, Tony,” Steve soothed his husband. “And you and I both know she just wants you happy, even at four years old.”

Tony nodded.

“I was serious, you know.” Tony’s voice broke the silence a few moments later. “I’ve got Morgan, and I’ve got you. That’s all the protection I need.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr [here](http://gabby227.tumblr.com/). I take prompts & requests.


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